Fire and emergency crews work at the scene of a fire at the Loafers Lodge, in Wellington, on May 16.STAFF/Reuters
New Zealand authorities said they hope that by midday on Wednesday police can get inside a burned-out building where at least six people died and also start the process of identifying the dead.
A blaze broke out on the top floor of Loafers Lodge in the Wellington neighbourhood of Newtown just after midnight on Tuesday, causing major structural damage that is hampering recovery efforts.
Six people are confirmed dead and a number of people remain unaccounted for.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) region manager Bruce Stubbs said they were hoping the police investigators would be able to get inside the building later in the day on Wednesday.
“The next step for us is going through and ensuring that there isn’t anybody else in there and obviously working with police to investigate and support them in the removal of the six people who were there,” he told state-owned Radio New Zealand.